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Joel Garner

Joel Garner

Born: 16 December 1952, Enterprise, Christ Church, Barbados
Major Teams: Barbados, Somerset, South Australia, West Indies.
Known As: Joel Garner
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Fast


Test Debut: West Indies v Pakistan at Bridgetown, 1st Test, 1976/77
Last Test:
West Indies v New Zealand at Christchurch, 3rd Test, 1986/87

ODI Debut:
West Indies v Pakistan at Berbice, One-off ODI, 1976/77
Last ODI:
West Indies v New Zealand at Christchurch, 4th ODI, 1986/87

First Class Debut:
Barbados v Combined Islands at Roseau, Dominica, 1975/76
Last First Class Match:
Barbados v Leeward Islands at Bridgetown, Barbados, 1987/88

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1980

Career Statistics:

TESTS
 (career)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding   58   68  14   672   60   12.44   0   1   42   0

                      O      M     R    W    Ave   BBI    5  10    SR  Econ
Bowling            2195.5  576  5433  259  20.97  6-56    7   0  50.8  2.47

ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS
 (career)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave     SR 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding   98   41  15   239   37    9.19  66.38   0   0   30   0

                      O      M     R    W    Ave   BBI   4w  5w    SR  Econ
Bowling             888.2  141  2752  146  18.84  5-31    2   3  36.5  3.09

FIRST-CLASS
 (career: 1975/76 - 1987/88)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding  214  231  54  2964  104   16.74   1   8  129   0

                    Balls    M     R    W    Ave   BBI    5  10    SR  Econ
Bowling             39829 1794 16333  881  18.53  8-31   48   7  45.2  2.46

LIST A LIMITED OVERS
 (career: 1976/77 - 1992)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding  256  133  46  1023   59*  11.75   0   1   71   0

                    Balls     R    W    Ave   BBI   4w  5w    SR  Econ
Bowling             13359  6598  397  16.61  6-29   13  10  33.6  2.96

- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.


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Profile:

At 6'8", weighing 17 stone and requiring custom-built size 16 boots, Joel Garner earned the nickname "Big Bird" (after the Sesame Street character) for his imposing physical appearance. Born in Barbados just before Christmas 1952, Garner made his first-class debut as a right-arm fast-bowler during the 1975-76 season and soon came to the attention of the national selectors. His Test debut coincided with Colin Croft's (against Pakistan in his native Barbados in February 1977), but it took Garner a while to earn the new ball for the West Indies. He was originally used as second change in an attack that often included Roberts, Holding, Croft and later Marshall; surely as hostile and demanding a line-up as any that has ever taken the field. Garner was immediately at home in the Test arena, taking six wickets in that first game, and scoring a useful 43. Eight wickets in the match at Georgetown, and another eight against Australia in Barbados secured his future, but his Test career was then curtailed for nearly a year by an involvement with Kerry Packer that split West Indian cricket. He became a leading player in the World Series team, and was an automatic choice by the time civilities were restored and the West Indies toured Australia in 1979-80.

Prodigious bounce from his high action, a devastating, toe-crunching yorker ("the only consolation," wrote Scyld Berry, "of being bowled by Garner is that you haven't been hit on the boot") and an ability to swing and cut the ball presented formidable challenges for any batsman. A short run, beginning in a crouch before rising to his full height in the delivery stride was a magnificent, fearsome sight. Even on the flattest of pitches, where no help was available for the bowler, he would bang the ball in on a length, extract bounce and cramp the batsman to restrict the flow of runs almost entirely, for example: 34.1-20-30-4 against England in 1980.

Garner was one of the few players to remain composed and consistent throughout the 1979-80 New Zealand tour, and returned Test-best figures of 6-56 in the final Test as his side struggled, in vain, to level the series. He followed that up with 26 wickets against England in the 1980 visit, and played a valuable role in series against Pakistan, England, Australia and India. Though he took relatively few five-wicket hauls (seven in all) he routinely weighed in with three and four wickets an innings. Troubled by knee and shoulder problems, he took the decision to miss the India tour of 1983-84 to rest; an investment that soon paid dividends. At last given the chance to take the new ball regularly, his 31 wickets at 16 each against Australia during the home series of 1983-84 secured a 3-0 victory for his side, and earned him the man of the series award. He was a valuable member of the Test side that won a record (until beaten by Australia) 11 consecutive Tests from 1983-84 (Bridgetown, against Australia to Adelaide, also against Australia in 1984-85) including the 'blackwash' series against England in 1984 in which he claimed 29 victims at 18 apiece. Further success followed against Australia, New Zealand and England (27 more wickets in the 1985-86 series to finish with 92 at 17.93 against them) before he retired from Test cricket after the West Indies tour to New Zealand in 1986-87. His 259 Test wickets, at 20.97 and economy rate 2.47 place him among the top Test bowlers of all time.

Often spectacularly successful on the big occasion, Garner played a vital role in the West Indies World Cup victory of 1979, taking 5-38 against England in the final; four of his victims being bowled. In the Gillette Cup Final of 1979 (the year he won his county cap) he took 6-29 against Northants at Lord's helping Somerset to their first-ever trophy, and in the final of the 1981 Benson and Hedges Cup he took 5-14 against Surrey. He was one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year for 1980.

Garner's one-day international career was equally impressive. Apart from his World Cup Final heroics of 1979, he played in the team that lost in the 1983 final. Often asked to bowl at "the death" he was rarely expensive, and often miserly. 146 wickets at an economy rate of 3.09 and an average of 18.84 with a best of 5-31 against Australia in 1984, illustrate his effectiveness.

A lusty hitter with a bat that appeared matchstick-sized in his hands, he was capable enough to make many telling contributions and hit a century against Gloucestershire for the West Indies at Bristol in 1980. His Test best was an innings of 60 against Australia (Lillee, Thomson, Hogg et al.) at Brisbane in 1979. Signing for Western Australia for 1982-83, he took 55 wickets for the State, but was unable to return as planned in 1985 after tearing ligaments in his knee.

Garner joined Somerset in 1977, (taking a career best 8-31 against Glamorgan at Cardiff that first summer) and though he rarely played a full season for them, his arrival was a significant factor in the emergence of the West Country side, and saw them to their first silverware in subsequent years. His partnership with Viv Richards, and the development of a young Ian Botham created a golden age of Somerset cricket, when the flamboyance and enjoyment on the pitch created an unprecedented level of excitement among supporters. He also played for Littleborough in the Central Lancashire League.

Garner was awarded an MBE in 1985, and a benefit by Somerset in 1986. But sidelined by injury and international commitments he only once took 50 wickets in a season for Somerset, a statistic that may have played a part in his release (along with Viv Richards) at the end of the 1986 season. Counties had to reduce their overseas players from two to one, and the club decided to release both their West Indian stars and opt for the youthful promise of Martin Crowe. Somerset rebuilt in the aftermath but the bitterness lingered for many years. The decision split the Somerset membership as never before, and resulted in the departure of Ian Botham from the club in protest.

Some reconciliation was achieved more than a decade later when Garner, Richards and Botham all accepted life membership offers from the club. Patient with autograph hunters and with a quiet and polite demeanour, Garner had endeared himself to many at Taunton, as he had around the world.

Having seen Barbados to several Shell Shield titles, he played his final first-class game against the Leeward Islands in 1987. He has remained involved in cricket, both as a selector of the national side and as a tour manager of the A team. He has continued to play club cricket too, mainly in Barbados, representing "old" West Indies and returned to the West Country to play cricket for Glastonbury during the 1990s. A keen footballer (unsurprisingly he was a goalkeeper), and supporter of Manchester United he represented the Cable and Wireless team in Barbados. (Copyright CricInfo 2001)

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